<html> <body> Cy, I used to think that about WTs (well temperaments, what is HT?) but my experience has changed the perception.  Originally, I tuned my wife's baby to Valloti-Young and it was OK, less bland than ET but nothing particularly interesting.  We tried a WT suggested by Paul Bailey and then compared it to others on paper and went for Barne's Bach WT.  We like it.  The Wurlizter baby sings.  She plays everything from pre-Bach to Katchaturian.  ( I think the Katchaturian Toccata would be really powerful in modified Meantone.)  I'm expecting to tune a square grand that hasn't been tuned since it was re-strung (Brown & Allen, ten years ago) in modified meantone.  The more remote keys aren't merely dissonant in WTs, they have vocal qualities.  When Beethoven shifts gears in a piece you can hear the vibrato come out.  The drive to 'perfect' tuning to the modern ET was more industry driven than artist driven from what I read. Check them out, you'll like them, Andrew Las Cruces, NM At 12:24 PM 3/13/2004 -0600, you wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Do you always tune "Representative Victorian", or do you pick a different HT based on the piano and its players?  I've heard HTs can make spinets, in particular, sound better.   I've always thought an HT would be great for beginners, who aren't going to get into more than two sharps or flats for a couple of years.  May as well let 'em enjoy those thirds!   --Cy-- <dl> <dd>----- Original Message ----- <dd>From: <a href="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com">Farrell</a> <dd>To: <a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</a> <dd>Sent: Saturday, March 13, 2004 11:58 AM <dd>Subject: Re: for your (radical turn) <dd>Last week I tuned a 1980s S&S M for a new client. He just moved down here from Manhattan. He has always had "Steinway" technicians service his piano. He "warned" me that he has had arguments about whether some notes were "in tune" with technicians in the past. <dd>  <dd>I raised the pitch 25 cents to A440 and tuned it to the "Representative Victorian" temperament on my Verituner. He sat down and banged out a movement from the Appassionata while I packed up my tools (and watched in amazement and awe). After he was done, he said "piano is perfect - never sounded so good". I'm not really sure if my tuning was that good (the piano did tune up well - I was unusually happy with it), if he just liked the temperament, or if his past service personnel were sub-par. <dd>  <dd>FWIW, I pretty much only tune in ET on request - and that is only a very few pianos. <dd>  <dd>Terry Farrell <dd>  <dd>----- Original Message ----- <dd>From: "Richard Brekne" <<a href="mailto:Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no">Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no</a>> <dd>To: "Pianotech" <<a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a>> <dd>Sent: Saturday, March 13, 2004 12:18 PM <dd>Subject: Re: for your (radical turn) <dd>> I can echo Ed here...      yet I still struggle with an unbeleivalbe <dd>> apathy I find amoung so many of the pianists around here. Their <dd>> reactions to HT's,  when they react at all... are always as Ed describes <dd>> below.... but getting them to actually DO something with this new <dd>> <<toy>> is another matter. <dd>> <dd>> I have one Professor who insists on having his Young Chang piano tuned <dd>> to a milde well... but only because its never sounded good in ET... but <dd>> this same guy doesnt want to work up a program based on HT's... nor <dd>> spend any time exposing his students to the potential. <dd>> <dd>> I just know that sooner or later something will spark and the ball will <dd>> get rolling... but the basic GAFFER attitude I find amoung young <dd>> pianists and faculty at the University level sometimes astounds me.  <dd>> They have their ciriculum... and thats what life is about..  . <dd>> <dd>> Nice turn tho Ed <dd>> <dd>> RicB <dd>> <dd>> <a href="mailto:A440A@aol.com">A440A@aol.com</a> wrote: <dd>> <dd>> >Bill writes: <dd>> ><< Now what was the subject, temperaments? <G> >> <dd>> > <dd>> >Humm, now that you mention it....  <dd>> >    I had a new customer call me to tune a Steinway M yesterday.  Said that <dd>> >he had decided to sell it and wanted it to sound its best.  Told me to do <dd>> >whatever I thought would make it most attractive. So,  I tuned it in a Broadwood. <dd>> >He sat down and played it.  His wife (also a musician and songwriter), came <dd>> >downstairs and stood there.  Hint of rapture in the air... <dd>> >    After a piece or two, he looked up and said, at the same time his wife <dd>> >did, "This piano has never sounded this good!" Not sure they want to part with <dd>> >it, now.  <dd>> >    Last week, a studio owner also had me tune, but asked to return to ET for <dd>> >an overdub session that was going in E maj.  He told me that since he had <dd>> >become used to the Coleman 11, the piano just sounds out of tune to him in ET and <dd>> >wants to return to WT as soon as possible.  <dd>> >   Like I said last century,  this stuff will just not go away!  Politicians <dd>> >will, but not the WTT's  (well-tempered tuners).  <dd>> >Regards, <dd>> > <dd>> > <dd>> > <dd>> >  <dd>> > <dd>> <dd>> _______________________________________________ <dd>> pianotech list info: <a href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives">https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives</a> <dd>> </dl></blockquote></body> </html>